i know i know...the baby tears arent growing...but there not dead either...

I really need to get my Co2 Back up and running

It looks pretty nice. I wish I can have a tank this big so that I won't have to trim my plants so often. I wish you good luck for your first planted tank, and it is a 125g. I don't believe most people would start out their first planted tank with a tank this big. It is just that when sh-t goes wrong, it can become expensive.

It looks pretty nice. I wish I can have a tank this big so that I won't have to trim my plants so often. I wish you good luck for your first planted tank, and it is a 125g. I don't believe most people would start out their first planted tank with a tank this big. It is just that when sh-t goes wrong, it can become expensive.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that larger tanks size would preclude trimming as often? I would still be trimming a larger tank just as often only difference is that it would take longer to trim each time because there's more plants to trim.

Also larger tanks usually have more room for me to correct mistakes/problems that occur, so in that instance bigger is better IMHO.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that larger tanks size would preclude trimming as often? I would still be trimming a larger tank just as often only difference is that it would take longer to trim each time because there's more plants to trim.

Also larger tanks usually have more room for me to correct mistakes/problems that occur, so in that instance bigger is better IMHO.

I'm not sure where you got the idea that larger tanks size would preclude trimming as often? I would still be trimming a larger tank just as often only difference is that it would take longer to trim each time because there's more plants to trim.

Also larger tanks usually have more room for me to correct mistakes/problems that occur, so in that instance bigger is better IMHO.

A bigger tank means more plants. More plants mean that you would need to replace them more if they aren't doing well for any reasons. Don't forget that at any given point, you would want to rescape your tank. I have a 40g and so far have rescaped the tank 5 times over the course of 1 year. You don't know how the tank should look. You are new. You always think that you are doing everything right and the plants aren't doing well because there are something wrong with the plants. Well, it turns out you aren't doing everything right but you just refuse to see it. We all have been there. A smaller beginner tank is better. It would cost you less to replace or to restock your plants. It is easier to rescape. Changes can make more efficiently. With a big tank, even if your water parameters are out of wack, your plants won't just die like your livestocks. It would take days to see the effect (fert deficiency and melting and etc).

More importantly, you don't have much experiences with various plants and how they would grow in your water and tank conditions. Could you imagine that you have just planted over $100 of vals in your 125g because you thought the plant would look nice. And you start adding Excel because you thought it was a good idea. Can one say melt city???

Trimming: Big topic... but here's some tips.
It's mostly a matter of your own personal tastes in how you want your tank to look overall and in sections (since you've set up islands).

Trimming aquatic plants like Vallisneria sp. is pretty straight forward - cut off the dying leaves only at the tips where it becomes damaged/brown/yellow. the young "plantlettes" will simply need to be separated once they have attained 3-4 leaves of their own by cutting the white runner between them and the mother plant. This runner trimming also works for Echinodoris sp. only difference is that you'll need to plant the young if planning to keep them.

Stem plants such as those in these videos: http://www.youtube.com/results?searc....1.8NCavxAkVmg - when they reach more than your desired length cut off down to the bottom 4-5 inches or so, and either replant, or just leave the leaves for the uncut look and they will grow right across the top.(my personal favorite)

For carpets - let them grow out to where you want them then pull out any extra growth (give away or sell to store for trade if possible) occasionally hairgrass and such will need to be trimmed with scissors so they can regrow even fuller, since a lot of people need to see to understand... watch this video to get one way of doing this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gps2yppF5rQ

and lastly just watch everything online you can about aquarium plants, planting, and anything else you can get a hold of, plus read everything here, and the majority of people can and will help with things already posted.

You have a beautiful tank with a great start, and your here that counts for a lot!

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